Born in a small provincial town in the countryside of Italy, Prossedi, Roberto Reatini has always been immersed in the love that food has to offer. Entrenched in the rich culinary traditions of Italy through the lens of his mother, he learned firsthand what food can and does do for people. For years he watched family and friends gather around the promise of a meal made from ingredients in the house he grew up in—in this, he witnessed firsthand the unique power food had to bring people together, and more than that, what it looked like for food to be seen through the lens of love and hospitality. With these sentiments, he left his small town for culinary school in 2002 in pursuit of creating sacred environments for food around the world…

A small town background could not stop Roberto’s curiosity for the world. However, in starting, he wanted to first leave his mark on the town where he grew up—establishing the food and hospitality experience of a local restaurant in Prossedi. Within three months, the restaurant went from a general spot in town to the most popular restaurant in his small town. It was here that Roberto learned in practice what his unique touch in hospitality had to offer in enhancing a culinary experience.

While a rich tradition, learning Italian cuisine formally was not enough for Roberto. With an endless curiosity and awareness of his unique location, Roberto set out to learn Mediterranean cuisine firsthand in a local Greek tavern where he studied Greek cuisine and learned more of the Mediterranean ingredient and flavor palette. With this knowledge, he set out to conquer London in 2009, working throughout the kitchens of renowned establishments in London, including Shoreditch House and the George Club, before heading to the Michelin-starred kitchen of Zafferano, which he often refers to as “the kitchen that made him.”